The Tampa lawyer who filed suit against Gov. Jeb Bush over cuts in the state's anti-smoking program for youths has withdrawn it after assurances that more money will be pumped into the effort.
Steven Yerrid, who was on the legal team that represented the state in its landmark tobacco settlement in 1997, said Wednesday he is abandoning the lawsuit after discussions with legislative leaders, Attorney General Charlie Crist and other state officials.
The lawsuit, filed last week in Hillsborough Circuit Court, sought to force the state to restore money to the anti-smoking program. The Legislature cut the budget for the program from $39-million this year to $1-million in the spending year that starts July 1. Bush had recommended the program receive $39-million, and he pledged to find a way to restore the money.
"The feedback that we got and the discussions have been very, very positive," Yerrid said. "I had very good discussions with the attorney general and leaders in the executive and the legislative areas."
Yerrid said there appeared to be a firm commitment to restore the anti-smoking program. He declined to name who provided the commitments of support. He had filed the lawsuit with Joseph Scarfone, 18, of New Port Richey, an antismoking advocate.
Crist, who talked with Yerrid Wednesday, said: "This is an important educational opportunity and certainly a worthy program, and so what I mentioned to Steve was if there are ways that we could be of help to try to restore or work toward a good conclusion and a restoration of the funds, we would be happy to do so."
Crist said he agreed to write a letter in support of Yerrid's efforts.
Yerrid said he was working to put the tobacco issue on the agenda for the special session of the Legislature that starts Monday, but spokesmen for the House and Senate said they were unaware of such plans.
Senate Minority Leader Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, sent a letter to Bush last week, suggesting part of a $950-million bailout package promised by the federal government be used to restore the antismoking program.
"I think the state of Florida has a moral and ethical obligation to use part of the tobacco funds for tobacco education," Klein said. "It's an incredible success, and the minute we stop, I think young people will start smoking again."
Sarah Bascom, a spokeswoman for Senate President Jim King, R-Jacksonville, said King doesn't want to revisit the issue this year.
"He believes that in a tight budget year like we are in, the money was spent, and this is the best it can be and that he doesn't feel that it needs to be looked into right now," Bascom said.
